


Weasley Family Reconciliations

by ThatHCWriter



Series: Weasley Family Collections [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Love, Canonical Character Death, Curses, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Forgiveness, Gen, Percy Weasley Redemption, Reunions, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHCWriter/pseuds/ThatHCWriter
Summary: After the war, the Weasley family was missing two pieces. Fred was gone, and Percy.. well Percy wasn't answering their owls.When someone finally extends an olive branch, Percy gets the chance to tell his story, and no one in the family is prepared.Not nesecary to read the rest of the series!
Relationships: Arthur Weasley & Percy Weasley, Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Audrey Weasley/Percy Weasley, Bill Weasley & Charlie Weasley & Fred Weasley & George Weasley & Percy Weasley & Ron Weasley
Series: Weasley Family Collections [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967764
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	Weasley Family Reconciliations

**Author's Note:**

> This is both a missing scene and exploring a common theory. Enjoy!

Arthur knocked hesitantly on the apartment door, swallowing hard. He hated the feeling he got here, so desolate and cold and unwelcoming. No child of his should live like this. Regardless of what they did. He almost missed the faint "come in" from inside. He tried the door, easily pushing it open to see a truly strange site. The apartment was... desolate. There was dust gathering on the counters, a spider web forming in the doorway. _It had only been a month or so, Merlin, how bad was it?_

"Percy?" He asked softly, turning into his son's bedroom. When he saw Percy, his heart dropped. He was sitting in a large chair, a white-knuckle grip on the armrests. Percy was staring at him, his face white and sunken. Arthur approached him carefully, his hands extended as if he was approaching a beast. "It's dad, Percy. It's okay. Can you say something?" As Arthur drew closer, it became clear that Percy was shaking. Arthur slowly knelt next to his son. 

"You shouldn't be here," Percy blurted out defensively, his voice extremely frail. Arthur felt his chest tighten. 

"Why is that, Perce?" Percy scoffed. 

"You shouldn't be here. I... I don't deserve it." 

"Now Percy." 

"I turned my back on all of you. I said... terrible things, and I didn't even apologize. I let Fred... Right in front of me. And I didn't.." 

"Hey," Arthur interrupted, trying best he could to change the topic, "That wasn't your fault, okay?" 

"Does George think that?" Percy asked, his eyes burning holes in Arthur's. His father winced. 

"If I'm honest, I don't think George has thought that far," Arthur leaned a little closer to his son, trying not to get lost in his own head. Arthur leaned in just that small bit closer, hoping that somehow it would help, before he said the thing he was dreading. "Come home Percy." Percy's face contorted painfully, as he shook his head violently. 

"I can't." Arthur shook his head. 

"Of course you can. You're always welcome, Perce, you know that." Percy shook his head again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Percy, what's wrong.." Arthur asked kindly. Percy almost recoiled. 

"I don't know what I might do. And.. and I don't want to hurt you again. I never meant too hurt you I..." Arthur's eyebrows raised. He fought the urge to lay a hand on his son's knee. For the moment, that wasn't best. For the moment, he just needed to listen to his son. 

"Can you tell me what you mean?" Arthur kept his voice calm and docile, the way he knew calmed Percy down when he'd get nervous as a kid. Percy seemed to calm ever so slightly. 

"Dad, I need to tell you something." Arthur nodded, eyes focused on his son. Percy was staring at the wall, eyes purposefully avoiding his father. He swallowed hard, burying his head in his hands. "I didn't do... _any_ of those things by choice. None of them," Percy was desperately holding back tears at this point, "I wasn't... I wasn't in control. Not really." 

"I know, Perce, I know. The ministry got in your head, it happened to a lot of people..." 

"That's not... It wasn't just that," He interrupted sharply, his leg bouncing and his hands wringing together, "I was under the Imperius Curse. Since the Tournament, actually," Percy took a deep, shuddering breath, running his fingers through his hair anxiously, "Please believe me. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to do those things, please dad, you have to.." 

Arthur was stunned. He hadn't seen this side of Percy since he was a little boy. A little boy who would start to cry when the assignment was too hard, and tremble like a leaf when his teachers didn't think he was the best. Arthur was always the one to calm him down after that, a strong shoulder for him to lean on when he felt inadequate. Now, years and years later, when he thought one of his own children had completely turned away from him, he had the chance to do that once again. So he let all of it go, all of the hurt, the betrayal, and the pain, and he held his hand out to his boy. 

"It's okay, Percy." Percy looked at his father in awe, gingerly taking his hand. "It's not your fault, what happened, okay? You weren't in control." 

"That's just it. I wasn't in control. I was weak. I didn't fight it. I'm smarter than that, I'm better than that, I..." Percy was cut off when his father abruptly yet carefully pulled his head into his shoulder. Percy threw his arm around him, appearances be damned. Arthur returned the embrace readily, briefly wondering just how long it had been since he'd held him. 

"Look at me, Perce." Percy tilted his head to face his father's, "You survived. That's what matters. You're here. Percy do you want to go home?" 

"If you'd have me.." 

"Are you joking, Percy? Of course! Your mother is going to be thrilled." Percy gave a half-hearted smile. 

"Can I pack a bag?" Arthur was somewhat reluctant to leave him in the apartment for any longer than needed, but the implications warmed his heart enough to nod. Quietly, he sent a patronus to Molly, telling her to, for the first time in years, plan on making dinner for nine. 

When Percy walked out quickly trunk in hand, Arthur rested a hand on his shoulder, and apparated to the Burrow. When they reached the outside of the house, Molly was waiting expectantly in front of it, her arms open wide. Percy smiled, allowing his mother to wrap him in a hug. He smiled as he heard his siblings filing out of the Burrow, all of them saying his name in varying degrees of shock. Reluctantly, he let go of his mother and approached his siblings, his head hung low. 

"You alright, Perce?" Charlie asked, drawing closer to him with a cautious hand raised. He nodded, throwing his head to the sky in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing. 

"Merlin I missed this," Percy said almost under his breath. Bill chuckled fondly. 

"We missed you Percy. Can.. Can I ask what changed?" Percy winced, and Arthur squeezed his shoulder. 

"I didn't do all of that on purpose. I.. I'd never say those things. It was the... The Impirius Curse. I tried to fight back, but I just kept... It wouldn't let me go." Molly's eyes widened tearfully, and the whole family stilled in shock. "And then... I just woke up. I ran. From work, from everything. I needed to fight. I needed to do something good for once in my life..." 

"Percy..." 

"I tried. I tried so hard. I tried to protect Fred. I did... I.." George interrupted him, wrapping him in a tearful hug, before letting go quickly. Percy swallowed hard. "I'm not asking you for forgiveness," Percy said softly, "I'm just asking to come home." 

"Well," Molly said, cupping his cheek, "Here you are. Let's grab some dinner, dear." 

And so Percy went inside, surrounded once again by the family he never wanted to leave. He hadn't quite forgiven himself, but he was home, and he was loved. In that moment, it was enough.


End file.
